The Andrew J. Stone Explorations in Arctic 

 and Subarctic America. 



LKSS than ten years ago \vry few s]>eeimens of the larger game animals of 

 Aretie and Subarctic America were to be found in any natural history 

 museum, and in none were any of the species satisfactorily represented. 

 In 1896 Mr. Andrew J. Stone visited the Cassiar District of northern 

 British I'olumbia on a hunting trip and among the trophies of the expedition 

 brought to New York several specimens of a new species of Bighorn Sheep, since- 

 described as Ovis stonei, in honor of its discoverer. These specimens were pur- 

 chased by the late James M. Constable, First Vice -President of the American 

 Museum of Natural History, for this institution, and they formed the beginning 

 of its present collection of the large game animals of boreal America. As 

 some of the species were becoming rapidly extirpated, it seemed of the utmost 

 imjiortance that steps should immediately be taken to secure specimens not only 

 for exhibition, but for scientific research. Accordingly, Mr. Constable, with his 

 accustomed liberality, contributed largely to the support of a second expedition 

 by Mr. Stone to Arctic America with this object especially in view. 



With this encouragement Mr. Stone left Seattle, Washington, early in July, 

 1897, for Fort Wrangel, Alaska, on an expedition of more than two years' dura- 

 tit >n, and which was to prove memorable in the annals of Arctic exploration. The 

 amount of hardship and travel involved was exceptional, but the expedition re- 

 sulted in important contributions to our knowledge of the distribution of the 

 game animals of the high North, and of the geography of the Arctic coast to the 

 eastward of the Mackenzie Delta,' besides adding to the Museum's collection of 

 mammals a considerable number of specimens, including six species new to 

 science. 



Mr. Stone's trip from Fort Wrangel was northeastward up the Stickine River, 

 across the divide to Dease Lake, down Dease Lake and Dease River to the Liard 

 Rivi-r. down the Liard to the Mackenzie, down the Mackenzie to the Delta, then 

 west by dog sled along the coast to Herschel Island and back to Fort McPherson, 

 thence eastward for about i ,000 miles to beyond Cape Lyon, and back to Fort Mc- 

 Pherson. The return journey was westward -across the Rocky Mountains to Bell 

 River, down Bell River to the Porcupine, down the Porcupine and Yukon to St. 

 Michael, and thence by steamer to Seattle. Side trips were made from the head 

 of the Stickine River to the Cheonnee Mountains; from the head of Dease Lake 



1 See "Some Results of a Natural History Journey to Northern British Columbia, Alaska, and the North- 

 west Territory, in the Interest of the American Museum of Natural History." By A. J. Stone. Bull. Amer. 

 Nat. Hist.. Vol. XIII. IQOO, pp. 31-62, with sketch maps. 



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